Northridge Fashion Center is getting a makeover more than 20 years after anchor store leaves

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Northridge Fashion Center’s third floor has remained dormant since the Broadway department store vacated the site in 1994. Now, its landlord General Growth Properties is rolling out a plan to convert 45,000 square feet of former retail space to offices. ( Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

The Northridge Fashion Center is the latest among San Fernando Valley brick-and-mortar stores trying to fill the empty space left by retail stores as more customers turn to online shopping.

Nationwide, malls are converting former retail space into entertainment hubs, amusement parks and data centers. About 25 percent of U.S. shopping malls will close by 2022, according to an analysis from Credit Suisse.

Northridge Fashion Center opened in 1971 at 9301 Tampa Ave. in Northridge.

Damaged during the 1994 earthquake, the complex has undergone several renovations.

Northridge Fashion Center’s third floor has remained dormant since the Broadway department store vacated the site in 1994. Now, its landlord General Growth Properties rolled out a plan to convert 45,000 square feet of former retail space to offices. ( Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Today, the mall has about 1,407,500 square feet of retail space and a roster of 185 tenants that includes Banana Republic, Victoria’s Secret and Macy’s. Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Red Robin, Buffalo Wild Wings and California Pizza Kitchen are among its dining options.

The new office space will be available on the third floor, above Dave & Buster’s, a popular chain that offers a mix of games, a restaurant and sports bar, which will open on July 16.

The shopping center is not the first Valley mall trying to reinvent itself.

The former Montgomery Ward in Panorama City, near the intersection of Roscoe Boulevard and Tobias Avenue, is poised for a makeover. Developers aim to transform the site into 675 multi-family residential units and about 60,000 square feet of commercial space.

Woodland Hills’ aging Westfield Promenade Shopping Center will give way to a spawning mixed-use development with 1,430 apartments, offices and entertainment and sports center.

In North Hollywood, a former Macy’s building at Laurel Plaza will be turned into a mix of retail, office and residential space.

John, of General Growth, said that after seeing the space unused for more than 20 years, the mall owners looked at different options and discovered that “there is not a ton of office space available in our immediate area,” she said.

The space on the third floor has been advertised since last week, and no tenants have been found yet, according to John.

Jim Crocenzi, senior vice president at CBRE Inc.’s retail advisory and transaction services, said the mall’s proximity to a freeway makes it a desirable location for some Valley companies.

He added that among potential tenants might be entertainment and other companies that want “to play off the fact that that’s not that far from Warner Center, which might not have that type of space available,” he said. “Typically those regional malls are very strategically located and have good accessibility.”

He said the offices’ employees enjoy working in the malls due to their “shared environments.”

“Tenants love malls because they can go to the shopping center and get something to eat and have a coffee,” he said.

Northridge Fashion Center’s third floor has remained dormant since the Broadway department store vacated the site in 1994. Now, its landlord General Growth Properties rolled out a plan to convert 45,000 square feet of former retail space to offices. ( Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

William Boyd Jr., senior managing director at Charles Dunn Co., which was hired to market the site, said the space would allow to put many employees on the same level.

The site would be ideal for back-office operations, he said, such as call centers or insurance companies seeking a large space with “ample” surface parking.

Shauna Mattis, a JLL senior vice president in the retail division, said companies are attracted to the malls because of amenities, including available parking and quick service.

“It’s all about maintaining retention and minimizing a turnover,” she said. “This amenities-based environment is very attractive for employers to consider for their companies.”

Olga Grigoryants is a multimedia reporter focusing on urban development, business and culture. She also supports the paper in its watchdog role to hold San Fernando Valley power players accountable and loves digging for public records. After studying writing in Moscow, she moved to Los Angeles in 2007 and has called it home ever since. She earned her master’s degree from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and has published articles with Reuters, Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Business Journal and LA Weekly. Along the way, she picked up awards from the Los Angeles Press Club and Society of Professional Journalists. If you want to get on her bright side, she loves a perfect cup of matcha latte.